So the officer is a POS? Would you have remorse if you killed someone who was threatening or trying to kill you (or your child or family member)?

Police, especially in certain troubled communities, have VERY tough jobs. I can't see how people can overlook the difficulty of their jobs and have more respect for the tense situations they are in. And have respect and appreciation for them trying to keep the COMMUNITY members safe from the crime/criminals.

Stand by my comment. I think not having remorse makes him a POS. Did I say all officers? No. So chill out. My opinion.

ETA..I had a tough job too in the military so yeah..I get what what cops go through to some degree. Thanks.

So the officer is a POS? Would you have remorse if you killed someone who was threatening or trying to kill you (or your child or family member)?

Police, especially in certain troubled communities, have VERY tough jobs. I can't see how people can overlook the difficulty of their jobs and have more respect for the tense situations they are in. And have respect and appreciation for them trying to keep the COMMUNITY members safe from the crime/criminals.

Stand by my comment. I think not having remorse makes him a POS. Did I say all officers? No. So chill out. My opinion.

ETA..I had a tough job too in the military so yeah..I get what what cops go through to some degree. Thanks.

Why say to me "chill out"? I Just asked a question and I certainly didn't get out of hand. Nothing for me to chill out about. Asking you why you would call the officer a POS.

So the officer is a POS? Would you have remorse if you killed someone who was threatening or trying to kill you (or your child or family member)?

Police, especially in certain troubled communities, have VERY tough jobs. I can't see how people can overlook the difficulty of their jobs and have more respect for the tense situations they are in. And have respect and appreciation for them trying to keep the COMMUNITY members safe from the crime/criminals.

Stand by my comment. I think not having remorse makes him a POS. Did I say all officers? No. So chill out. My opinion.

ETA..I had a tough job too in the military so yeah..I get what what cops go through to some degree. Thanks.

If officer Wilson was your husband how would you have expected him to react ?

I am not a police officer, but I am lucky enough to be related to one!

What my sister and other police officers have said is, assuming the officer's account is true, he made two fairly vital errors:

1. Not radioing for backup once he realized they may be suspects in the robbery (There is no reported contact between the officer and the dispatch before and during the incident, according to the Grand jury transcripts. He claims he did but the radio was on the wrong channel; apparently he should have waited for confirmation that dispatch heard him. This was in between the time he first spoke to them but before he pulled up in front of them.)

2. Shooting once he got out of the car--the officers I know differ on the justification of this, but the ones who think he was wrong either say he should have shot for the chest (they are trained to aim for the biggest part so they don't miss) or not to have shot at all at that point. Most said they would have had their weapons out and pointed at him, but not shot based off of what the officer said happened. Common sense dictates that if he had a gun he would have pulled it out by then and not put himself closer in harm's way. They have to protect themselves, of course, but they can't just shoot without assessing the situation.

And this is from the perspective of people who do deal with situations like this every day. Some work in awful neighborhoods and are jaded, but all of them are shocked that the officer, in his interview after the indictment, showed no regret for the shooting. I think that if I did kill someone in self defense, I would still feel terrible, even if it was a me versus them situation.

And for all those saying that the parents must have raised him wrong and your kids would never do such a thing, that is ridiculous. You can raise your kids right and they can still do something stupid, as teenagers, that could ruin or even end their life. To not acknowledge that possibility is to be blind. How many things did you do as teenagers your parents would still be shocked about?

people...all people...need to stop seeing themselves as oppressed. i speak as a Jewish person too. what happened to ALL of us was horrible and in the past. in order to not let it happen again we can't act like victims. are the native americans victims...yes. do they act like it? no. its 2014...almost 2015...we need to all act like we're equal and stop bringing up the past.

the looters and rioters in Ferguson are giving stereotypes a true meaning. they want to be treated as civilized people...act like it. stop stealing from a Dollar Tree

Its hard to stop seeing yourself as oppressed when you actually are oppressed.

I am not condoning the riots and violence, but we do not live in an equal society. There is a systemic racial problem in this country.

In the first half of 2014, New Yorkers were stopped by the police 27,527 times.22,682 were totally innocent (82 percent).14,549 were black (53 percent).7,662 were Latino (28 percent).3,363 were white (12 percent).

Oh come on. Statistically speaking, what else would you expect? These folks are not out picking daisies in a safe and quiet neighborhood. Think about where these cops are patrolling and the people they are trying to keep safe. As soon as stop and frisk was ended, a teen shot another kid in public for a jacket. Screw hurt feelings and being PC. I'm more worried about keeping our law abiding citizens safe.

Everyone makes right and wrong choices everyday. I chose not to become a drug addict, I chose not to steal my groceries, I chose to go to college, I chose to get my HS Diploma, I chose to have a child, etc etc. Choose your destiny, color does not affect the choices you make in life.

So the officer is a POS? Would you have remorse if you killed someone who was threatening or trying to kill you (or your child or family member)?

Police, especially in certain troubled communities, have VERY tough jobs. I can't see how people can overlook the difficulty of their jobs and have more respect for the tense situations they are in. And have respect and appreciation for them trying to keep the COMMUNITY members safe from the crime/criminals.

Stand by my comment. I think not having remorse makes him a POS. Did I say all officers? No. So chill out. My opinion.

ETA..I had a tough job too in the military so yeah..I get what what cops go through to some degree. Thanks.

Why say to me "chill out"? I Just asked a question and I certainly didn't get out of hand. Nothing for me to chill out about. Asking you why you would call the officer a POS.

Sorry. .came across like you were giving me a riot act as if I didn't understand what cops go through when I do. I get the sacrifice. But unfortunately for officer Wilson...i think he's a douche after watching his interview. So just as he has no remorse, I think I can say he's a POS for not. Won't change him...just my opinion of him.

So the officer is a POS? Would you have remorse if you killed someone who was threatening or trying to kill you (or your child or family member)?

Police, especially in certain troubled communities, have VERY tough jobs. I can't see how people can overlook the difficulty of their jobs and have more respect for the tense situations they are in. And have respect and appreciation for them trying to keep the COMMUNITY members safe from the crime/criminals.

Stand by my comment. I think not having remorse makes him a POS. Did I say all officers? No. So chill out. My opinion.

ETA..I had a tough job too in the military so yeah..I get what what cops go through to some degree. Thanks.

Why exactly should he show remorse for defending himself ?

Really? Because unless someone is a complete psychopath or a killing machine, ANYONE, cop or not, feels remorse for taking a life - even in self defense.

If you think an officer wouldn't just because it's self defense and they're just "doing their job", then you've just simplified the act of murder. The psyche doesn't work that way. Many police officers and military go through emotional and psychological trauma and are provided professional support and intervention after such events.

If officer Wilson was your husband how would you have expected him to react ?

I am not a police officer, but I am lucky enough to be related to one!

What my sister and other police officers have said is, assuming the officer's account is true, he made two fairly vital errors:

1. Not radioing for backup once he realized they may be suspects in the robbery (There is no reported contact between the officer and the dispatch before and during the incident, according to the Grand jury transcripts. He claims he did but the radio was on the wrong channel; apparently he should have waited for confirmation that dispatch heard him. This was in between the time he first spoke to them but before he pulled up in front of them.)

2. Shooting once he got out of the car--the officers I know differ on the justification of this, but the ones who think he was wrong either say he should have shot for the chest (they are trained to aim for the biggest part so they don't miss) or not to have shot at all at that point. Most said they would have had their weapons out and pointed at him, but not shot based off of what the officer said happened. Common sense dictates that if he had a gun he would have pulled it out by then and not put himself closer in harm's way. They have to protect themselves, of course, but they can't just shoot without assessing the situation.

And this is from the perspective of people who do deal with situations like this every day. Some work in awful neighborhoods and are jaded, but all of them are shocked that the officer, in his interview after the indictment, showed no regret for the shooting. I think that if I did kill someone in self defense, I would still feel terrible, even if it was a me versus them situation.

And for all those saying that the parents must have raised him wrong and your kids would never do such a thing, that is ridiculous. You can raise your kids right and they can still do something stupid, as teenagers, that could ruin or even end their life. To not acknowledge that possibility is to be blind. How many things did you do as teenagers your parents would still be shocked about?

If officer Wilson was your husband how would you have expected him to react ?

I am not a police officer, but I am lucky enough to be related to one!

What my sister and other police officers have said is, assuming the officer's account is true, he made two fairly vital errors:

1. Not radioing for backup once he realized they may be suspects in the robbery (There is no reported contact between the officer and the dispatch before and during the incident, according to the Grand jury transcripts. He claims he did but the radio was on the wrong channel; apparently he should have waited for confirmation that dispatch heard him. This was in between the time he first spoke to them but before he pulled up in front of them.)

2. Shooting once he got out of the car--the officers I know differ on the justification of this, but the ones who think he was wrong either say he should have shot for the chest (they are trained to aim for the biggest part so they don't miss) or not to have shot at all at that point. Most said they would have had their weapons out and pointed at him, but not shot based off of what the officer said happened. Common sense dictates that if he had a gun he would have pulled it out by then and not put himself closer in harm's way. They have to protect themselves, of course, but they can't just shoot without assessing the situation.

And this is from the perspective of people who do deal with situations like this every day. Some work in awful neighborhoods and are jaded, but all of them are shocked that the officer, in his interview after the indictment, showed no regret for the shooting. I think that if I did kill someone in self defense, I would still feel terrible, even if it was a me versus them situation.

And for all those saying that the parents must have raised him wrong and your kids would never do such a thing, that is ridiculous. You can raise your kids right and they can still do something stupid, as teenagers, that could ruin or even end their life. To not acknowledge that possibility is to be blind. How many things did you do as teenagers your parents would still be shocked about?

Thanks for sharing your insights. I am not educated enough on police protocol to respond. Perhaps ,others with more knowledge might have feedback. Finally, I think is absurd to think that good parenting can't keep a kid from engaging in criminal,,sociopathic leaning behavior. There are dozens of studies on the connection between environment and anti-social behaviors. This isn't a kid stealing some makeup from Rite Aid or having a wild house party when their parents are away. This on another level.

So the officer is a POS? Would you have remorse if you killed someone who was threatening or trying to kill you (or your child or family member)?

Police, especially in certain troubled communities, have VERY tough jobs. I can't see how people can overlook the difficulty of their jobs and have more respect for the tense situations they are in. And have respect and appreciation for them trying to keep the COMMUNITY members safe from the crime/criminals.

Stand by my comment. I think not having remorse makes him a POS. Did I say all officers? No. So chill out. My opinion.

ETA..I had a tough job too in the military so yeah..I get what what cops go through to some degree. Thanks.

Why exactly should he show remorse for defending himself ?

Really? Because unless someone is a complete psychopath or a killing machine, ANYONE, cop or not, feels remorse for taking a life - even in self defense.

If you think an officer wouldn't just because it's self defense and they're just "doing their job", then you've just simplified the act of murder. The psyche doesn't work that way. Many police officers and military go through emotional and psychological trauma and are provided professional support and intervention after such events.

. I understand your point, I don't know if remorse is the right word though. I'd imagine that you'd feel emotions like sadness, regret that things got to that point, terrible trauma over your own feelings of helpless and terror , the violence of watching someone die etc. however, I think remorse implies that he felt he did wrong and if he felt justified he might not be experiencing that. We also need to remember that people process traumatic events differently.

Finally, I think is absurd to think that good parenting can't keep a kid from engaging in criminal,,sociopathic leaning behavior. There are dozens of studies on the connection between environment and anti-social behaviors. This isn't a kid stealing some makeup from Rite Aid or having a wild house party when their parents are away. This on another level.

I completely agree that it drastically lessens the chances. The research does show very strong correlation between the two. But nothing can completely prevent it all the time in every single kid from a good family. There are certainly kids from wonderful homes who have done horrible things, and vice-versa. Not every bad kid comes from bad parents is what I was trying to say. Brown's mom might have been furious at him if she knew he stole those cigars or she may have laughed and smoked one. We don't know.

If cops are so perfect, then why did an indisputably innocent man get shot in a stairwell in a NYCHA project merely because he was there, and it was dark? Should this shooter's actions not be questioned because he was a cop? If a cop does something wrong (resulting from a failure to follow procedure or an abuse of power or whatever), s/he should be questioned and criticized just as anyone else would be. The fact that a person is a police officer does mean that they are automatically right. I respect cops and the fact that they put their lives on the line, but in my view the power they have means that their bad acts should be scrutinized MORE. People need to respect the police in order for them to do their job effectively. Right now, it is getting harder and harder to respect the police.

this was an 18 year old MAN who decided to go out and commit a crime. It was his choice to do so. Do we think this was the first crime he committed? or the last? I agree, not all cops are perfect, like in any other walk of life you do have rotten apples, but I don't believe this cop was one of them. I do feel bad for the parents and I don't believe there is any blame to put on them (like I sais this MAN made his own choices). His step-father on the other hand is another story. I understand raw emotion and pain, but I know my first reaction would not be to call for people to burn down my community and incite a riot. I keep hearing this as an excuse for what he did. When do we stop excusing that kind of behavior???? Yes, there is racism in the country, on all sides. It is not just white on black, it goes both ways. Actually it comes beyond black and white.

This thread is a true representation of why the notion of a post racial society is a joke. The majority of you have allowed the media to seep so deeply into your sub-consciences that you don't even recognize the bias and insensitivity in your feelings and words. Your words are dehumanizing and you're becoming almost sociopathic. Don't be a pawn to the media!

You're buying into the media narrative of blacks being inherent criminals and worthy of death for any and every character flaw. Did Amadou Diallo deserve to die as well? Did I - an educated, middle class, upstanding citizen - deserve to have guns pointed at me by cops for sitting in an idle car? You're finding reasons to justify the deaths of countless PEOPLE who ultimately didn't deserve to DIE as flawed as they may or may not have been.

The media is notorious for mis-representing blacks and you all are buying into it. The media is the true enemy, it is the biggest instigator of racial tensions in the U.S. If we spent as much time attacking THAT as opposed to each other, we'd see progress.

Finally, I think is absurd to think that good parenting can't keep a kid from engaging in criminal,,sociopathic leaning behavior. There are dozens of studies on the connection between environment and anti-social behaviors. This isn't a kid stealing some makeup from Rite Aid or having a wild house party when their parents are away. This on another level.

I completely agree that it drastically lessens the chances. The research does show very strong correlation between the two. But nothing can completely prevent it all the time in every single kid from a good family. There are certainly kids from wonderful homes who have done horrible things, and vice-versa. Not every bad kid comes from bad parents is what I was trying to say. Brown's mom might have been furious at him if she knew he stole those cigars or she may have laughed and smoked one. We don't know.

Yes, we don't know but I think that using common sense we can safely assume that there were years of red flags, warning signs, and bad behavior on the part Michael Brown. I don't believe he was a church mouse until the age of 18 and suddenly behaved this way. I would bet a large sum of money that there was a history and even more that had he lived he would have ended up in prison in short order.

A lot of this brings up the john white case on Long Island in port Jeff a handful of years ago. John White, a black man, shot and killed a white teen who was on his property and threatening him. Everyone wanted mr. White to be locked up forever.

Here a white cop shoots a black teen because he felt threatened and it's justified.

Both teens were up to no good. It's just that the commentary seems different. People felt bad for the port Jeff teen. Sure, he and his friends had a bat, were threatening a homeowner on his own property and befor that, I believe they chased the son home. He was told to get off the property, to leave. And he didn't. And the kid ended up shot dead. People said "teens do stupid things. No one should die". But i don't hear the same thing here, I guess.

Both kids were warned. Both may or may not have listened. Both ended up dead. It just seems people are way more harsh (knowingly or unknowingly) if the kid isn't white.

I'm not pointing fingers and calling anyone racist. I have no clue who thinks what. But this is a trend I've seen in cases like this ... Not just those debated here on LiF, but everywhere. And it makes me think.

And yes.. If you look up the threads here on john white, you will see the majority that he was wrong and kids do dumb things.

I do think this is an important discussion to have. And I'm glad we are all sharing our opinions.

A lot of this brings up the john white case on Long Island in port Jeff a handful of years ago. John White, a black man, shot and killed a white teen who was on his property and threatening him. Everyone wanted mr. White to be locked up forever.

Here a white cop shoots a black teen because he felt threatened and it's justified.

Both teens were up to no good. It's just that the commentary seems different. People felt bad for the port Jeff teen. Sure, he and his friends had a bat, were threatening a homeowner on his own property and befor that, I believe they chased the son home. He was told to get off the property, to leave. And he didn't. And the kid ended up shot dead. People said "teens do stupid things. No one should die". But i don't hear the same thing here, I guess.

Both kids were warned. Both may or may not have listened. Both ended up dead. It just seems people are way more harsh (knowingly or unknowingly) if the kid isn't white.

I'm not pointing fingers and calling anyone racist. I have no clue who thinks what. But this is a trend I've seen in cases like this ... Not just those debated here on LiF, but everywhere. And it makes me think.

And yes.. If you look up the threads here on john white, you will see the majority that he was wrong and kids do dumb things.

I do think this is an important discussion to have. And I'm glad we are all sharing our opinions.

I personally thought John White was justified. He had a bunch of punk ass teens trying to break down his door and hurt his kid. But I also think that Michael Brown was a punk too. Had this been a white kid I would also think he was a punk. Bottom line was that he was comitting a crime. Initially, all you heard was that a black kid was shot by a white cop while walking down the street . Then the story that he robbed a store came out.Then the video of the robbery and him pushing the store owner. This isnt "kids just being kids". His stepfather's reaction after the verdict saying "burn this b-- down", and "burn this mother-- er down" as well as the last video of Michael Brown alive robbing and assaulting tells me that the whole family has major issues. And I don't care about color. I would feel the same way if it was a black cop who ended up killing a white punk. Don't commit crimes! And on another note, kudos to the woman who took her life in her hands going into that same store during the riots after some losers set it on fire and poured lighter fluid on it and putting out the fire with milk!! She said she refused to let the thugs destroy her neighborhood store! What a brave woman!

Obviously everyone who is questioning why Wilson did what he did does not understand two things. First, when you are threatened by a perp, armed or unarmed, you must defend yourself. Once Brown went for his gun (and forensic evidence proved that this was in fact the case), he was no longer an unarmed man. It is very easy for some of you to judge why he did what he did, working in jobs where your life isn't on the line on a day to day basis, but the reality is you can't even begin to know what it was like to be Wilson that night. It has been proven that Brown was antagonistic and threatening, both by forensic evidence and witness testimonies and Wilson was simply doing his job. He did not do or say anything to make it about race, he simply wanted to go home at the end of the night, not end up in a bodybag. Cops are taught to use deadly force if their lives are in jeopardy and Wilson believed that his was. He had never used his weapon before that night, but he felt that in this situation, he had to. I am sorry that many of you cannot understand what it must have been like to be in his situation, but I think any cop would have done the same thing. Darren Wilson is not guilty of any crime. If you want cops who let criminals run loose for fear of confrontations, then we will live in a dangerous scary world. Cops are here to protect us against people who do the same things that Michael Brown did that night. It is a shame that he decided to get high, rob a store, and then attack a police officer. If only he made better choices, he would still be alive today and Darren Wilson's life would not be in shambles.

Exactly. And anyone who knows an ounce about law enforcement and their training, would see this, plain and simple. Every officer I know puts their lives on the line everyday and a lot of them tell me, I'd rather be judged by twelve than carried by six.

I keep thinking of my brother's colleague Artie Lopez, who simply walked up to a man to question why he left the scene of a basic fender bender... He approached with his taser. Man, I wish he had approached with his gun. But who would have thought?? It was just a simple fender bender. But that piece of utter shit turned around before Artie could even mutter a hello and he shot him directly in the heart. FOR NO EFFING REASON. He just didn't want to get locked up that day for leaving the scene of a fender bender. Artie was 29 years old. He showed restraint by approaching with his taser. That's the thanks restraint got him.

But it's ok that Artie was killed. It's ok because he was just a cop. They are expendable. If Artie had approached that scumbaag pos with his gun drawn and killed that waste of life instead, he would have been scruntized and judged. So instead he went in with non deadly force like all the Monday morning quarterbacks who have never been on the front lines preach about. And he paid with his life. Where were the riots for him though?

You know what...at the end of the day, better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6. If you don't like it, don't break the law. And if a cop tells you to put your hands up, put them up. Period.

I believe the officer was doing his job. First of all you can see that Michael Brown thought he was above the law when he steals from a convenience store and then on video proceeds to leave the store with another friend. The friend just walks out. But no Mr. Brown decides to have an altercation with the store owner and even after the man lets him go he still goes back to give him one more shove. He's lucky the store owner didn't have a gun. Then what? he would of been killed by a store owner and we would of never even heard this story. Plus when u rob a store just friggin run out. Your friend did. Why do you need to be so confrontational. So I can see and believe the officers testimony. He clearly thought he was above the law again when fighting with a police officer as well. It's the choices he made that day that ended his life. Not Officer Wilson.

I won't be surprised if the step-dad gets arrested soon now for inciting a riot when he yelled out burn this ***** down and then the whole town proceeds to do just that. Just disgraceful that this case is being used as everything that it is not.